Pope Francis has appointed Jesuit Stephen Chow Sau-yan as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, filling a post that had been vacant for almost two years, the Holy See said on Monday
VATICAN CITY (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th May, 2021) Pope Francis has appointed Jesuit Stephen Chow Sau-yan as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Hong Kong, filling a post that had been vacant for almost two years, the Holy See said on Monday.
The 61-year-old will now replace Cardinal John Tong Hon, who has served as the Apostolic Administrator of Hong Kong since January 3, 2019, when the previous bishop, Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, died at the age of 73. The bishop-elect is currently the Provincial of the Chinese Province of the Society of Jesus.
The head of the Hong Kong diocese is considered to be a key figure in the future of the difficult relationship between the Holy See and China.
The Holy See and China signed in Beijing the Provisional Agreement on the appointment of bishops as an experiment. According to the Vatican, the aim of the agreement is for the Chinese Catholics to have bishops who are in full communion with the pontiff and, at the same time, recognized by the Chinese authorities. On October 22, 2020, this agreement was extended for another two years.
